Two men have been remanded to prison after appearing before the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court on Monday, charged with possession of cannabis with intent to traffic following a stop-and-search operation on the West Coast Berbice public road.
Antonio Peters, 21, a construction worker of Lot 35 Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje, Berbice, and Delvin Semple, 28, a taxi driver of Timmers Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, Berbice, were jointly charged with possessing 2,600 grams of cannabis with intent to traffic on April 23 at Weldaad Village. Both men pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Michelle Matthias.
According to police, the arrest stemmed from a stop-and-search operation on the Weldaad Public Road at approximately 15:40 hours on April 23, 2026, during which officers intercepted a white Toyota Fielder Wagon occupied by both men. A search of the vehicle revealed four large parcels wrapped in transparent plastic containing leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis, concealed in two multi-coloured shopping bags in the trunk. The seized narcotics weighed 45.4 pounds when measured at the Weldaad Police Station.
Prosecutor Sergeant Garfield Edwards opposed bail, noting that Peters and Semple were the sole occupants of the vehicle at the time of the discovery. He also flagged Semple as a flight risk, citing an inaccurate address provided by the defendant, and informed the court of the existence of a video interview in which both men allegedly admitted to possessing the narcotics.
Defence attorney Horatio Edmondson, representing Peters, argued that there was no indication whether the confiscated substance had been sent for testing and took issue with the prosecution’s reference to a video, noting it had not been previously mentioned.
Considering the gravity of the offence, Magistrate Matthias denied bail and remanded both men to prison. The case was transferred to the Weldaad Magistrate’s Court for further proceedings.
